I step out of the van, my knees weak, and heart pounding. I send a pitiful glance at the crumpled paper being crushed in my clenched fist. I breathe in, and breathe out. The sun has long set, making the Italian countryside cold and dark. The little town around me is silent; albeit for the quiet snores of the residents inside of the small apartments. I smile wearily, why am I stressing over a small move? Oh yeah, the 'small' move was to another country with the only Assassin group hiding the only tool to find the mysterious, Apple of Eden. I recounted the events of the last week; the Mentor declaring my addition to this team, me failing my exam(horribly), and riding a 13 hour flight with two nasty smelling guys next to me.
"Oh well! At least you made it this far!" I mutter to myself, closing the van's door behind me and walking towards the center of the town. The town was called Monteriggioni, an ancient town that dates back to way before the Renaissance times. Being a history buff helps out in some ways. The town has long been a tourist hot-spot, after all, Rome is nearly minutes away by car or bus. I found myself looking at the terra-cotta shingles and stone walls of the houses, all were in somewhat good condition, they weren't bad either. I read the paper again, for instructions on what to do next.

The team should be in the Auditore Villa. It should be easy to spot. Once there, Lucy Stillman will report of your arrival, good luck and stay out of trouble, Genesis DaCruz.

I roll my eyes at the writing. The 'stay out of trouble' part was directed at my stupidity I did on my first failure of a mission. Crumpling the paper, I stuff it into my jean's pocket. At this point, a strong wind picks up. I pray silently that it's not rain, as my dark brown hair is whipped back. It's not long, the longest strands end at my shoulders, and at the top of my head, it's shorter, and I have a side bang on the right of my face.
I bite my lip and stare upwards, gazing into the swirling dark mass of cloud. It's rain, I know it is because the clouds are way too dark and the winds strong.
"Oh come on!" Rain literally pours down from the heavens drenching my white hoodie and shoes. I growl and grumble, pulling on my hood for coverage. I start running towards the center of town, just as lightning flashes and thunder booms overhead. I pay no attention to the sparks and loud crackles, instead I keep my eyes straight and focused. I keep running, careful not to slip on the saturated cobblestone, and any stray puddles. I stop in my tracks as I spot a police officer walking around with a umbrella. I feel my breath hitch in my throat as he notices me. He scowls, and jogs over to me, his glare scrutinizing.
"Americana?(American, female)" He asks, voice raspy. I nod, feeling my drenched hair whip my cheeks. "You are out late, Ms. There is a...how you say? Curfew for all residents of Monteriggioni. Is there....any reason for you to be out late?" I chew my lip for a few seconds, not knowing how to pull myself out of this one. I open my mouth to speak but before I can, a voice interrupts me.
"Aspettare! Ufficiale, si prega di attendere! Lei è con me.(Wait! Officer, please wait! She is with me." The owner of the voice comes to a hault by me, smiling kindly and wearing the same white hoodie. He's tall, very tall. I'd say about 6 feet, with olive skin and warm hazel eyes. The officer narrows his beady black eyes at the man. I mentally thank him, understanding what he said. I also thank my mother for teaching me Italian.
"Perché è lei fuori di questo ritardo? E chi sei tu?(Why is she out this late? And who are you?)" The officer asks, glaring at me. I gulp and speak up.
"Io sono uno studente di storia, di apprendimento e questo è il mio amico, siamo entrambi fuori qui per saperne di più sulla vita sul campo e ho voluto andare per una corsetta di mezzanotte. Non intendo per preoccuparsi di chi, appena voce casa ora.
(I'm a student learning history, and this is my friend, We're both out here to learn more about life on the field, and I wanted to go for a midnight jog. I didn't mean to bother anyone, I'll just be heading home now.)" I know it's complete bullshit, but I just hope he'll fall for it. The officer glares at me once more.
"Ammenda. Stare fuori dai guai, ragazza.(Fine. Stay out of trouble, girl)" I smile as he starts to walk away, leaving me alone with the hooded man. I turn to him and grin, holding out my hand. He awkwardly takes it, and shakes it.
"Nice to meet you! And thanks." I say, nodding. He smirks.
"For what?"
"For saving my fucking ass! Um, do you know where the Auditore Villa is?" I ask, furrowing my brows. The man laughs and nods.
"You must be the fresh meat, Genesis DaCruz? You Spanish or something?"
"Uruguayan, actually. So, are you Desmond Miles?" The man smiles and opens his arms wide, grining.
"The one and only! Come, it's fucking freezing out here and I's rather be inside a dusty, old, broken mansion instead of outside." Desmond starts to joy away, before looking over his shoulder. The rain blurs his face a little, but I can see a smile. "Coming?" I smile and nod.
"You bet!"